Two Months Out From Resigning at Shoshoni

The realization that I will be resigning at Shoshoni in less than 2 months has hit hard. I am still beyond excited...but reality is sinking in. This week flew by so quickly that it has left me reeling--thinking that if the rest of the coming weeks go so quickly, I will be gone before I'm ready. I am "ready" to go--mentally, physically, emotionally. But logistically.....not so much. I am stressing about selling my house and getting some cash. My road trip is something I am really looking forward to--but it's going to cost some serious dough.

Aside from the basic stresses that come with preparing to leave the country for 2 years, I have been working hard on preparing myself. Today I talked with my Peace Corps recruiter for a while on the phone. He was actually assigned to Romania back in 1999 and had some great insight about what to expect. It is difficult to learn everything over the phone--so I am hoping that we will be able to meet up before I leave. He did mention that alcohol consumption is a cultural norm in Romania. This is something that I think I may struggle with. Of course, I have worked intensely on reducing underage drinking and alcohol abuse here. It is something that I am passionate about...and I think I may have trouble seeing things that I do not feel are "right". My recruiter said that addressing any issues surrounding alcohol is a sure fire way to get yourself ostrasized.......which of course, I do not want to do in any way. So it seems that I must resign to overlooking issues surrounding alcohol during my time in the Peace Corps. Who knows, maybe I will find a gentle way to address these issues or will change my point of view.